Point of Origin

Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter the roads and accommodations.
~Oliver Goldsmith

For those of us old enough to remember a world devoid of smartphones and a time when bingeing was not something you did in front of a screen, you might remember having to use a map to get to an unfamiliar location. In the days before GPS, we would pull out the map that we kept in the glove compartment of our car and plot out our journey. However, we were unable to perform this task until we first knew where we were starting — our point of origin.

From an organization’s standpoint, the point of origin gives us perspective and allows us to route a journey to a better organization. In short, you can’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been. Knowing your point of origin allows you to avoid routes that, in the past, may not have resulted in a smooth ride. It helps leaders to know who the best passengers may be and which seats should be filled and which should be left empty. Yes, the point of origin is the first step in speeding down the road of productive change for an organization.

On the road to a better district!

The leadership in our school district has been very purposeful about listening and learning about our schools’ points of origin. Our new building leaders have spent significant time learning our culture and getting to know our parents, students, and staff. They have asked great questions about why we do what we do to better understand the history behind our practices. As a district, we determined our point of origin through our Strategic Blueprint planning process. This process engaged stakeholders from across the community and with a wide variety of experience and roles within our schools. This group set our point of origin by drafting a modern mission statement (To create a community of inspired learners) and five belief statements that reflect the direction the community wants our schools to head. Additionally, the Strategic Blueprint committee helped orient our journey by long term goals for the district. Each year, the staff reviews this portion of the plan and creates action steps that map out the voyage leading us to better programs for kids and services for families. If you are curious about our district’s plan, you can review the plan and accompanying action steps by CLICKING HERE.

As we continue to make great time on our organizational road-trip, it is important for us to respect our point of origin while at the same time take a route that will lead to improved schools. With the leadership of our Board, teachers, and administrative team and the support of our parents this trip will be, as the kids say, epic!

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